Technology has come a long way in terms of communications, especially in emergency management.

Satellites, the Internet and other forms of technology have contributed greatly to keep people in touch when disaster strikes. But a form of communication that is almost a century old is still the most reliable way to stay in contact.

Ham radios are still in use today, and they play a key part in emergency plans. The devices are a central component of Levy County's communications tools.

Marilyn Ladner has been selected as the new provost at the College of Central Florida's Levy Center.

Ladner takes over for Interim Director Dr. Susan Chappell. Currently the manager of Corporate Training at CF, Ladner is expected to begin at the Levy Center in mid-August. She will also be the college's executive director of College Planning.

"It is so exciting," she said by phone last Thursday. "I'm just walking on air. I was hoping this might happen and it did. I can't wait to be more of a part of this area and this project."

Yankeetown Town Council member Jack Schofield, critic of the proposed Tarmac King Road limerock mine, has raised questions about whether the company owes tangible property taxes on a drag line.

The drag line, sitting in pieces at the site of the company’s test pit, which Schofield and other Yankeetown residents want closed, is not subject to tax, said Tarmac officials because state law does not levy a tax on items not producing revenue.

The city commission voted 4-0 Monday night to allow City Manager Grady Hartzog to move ahead with the third phase of a project that would bring the city’s water line closer to its new well head No. 5. Commissioner Rollin Hudson was absent for the vote.

“It’s a great idea. We’ve been needing to do this,” said Vice-Mayor Teresa Barron at the meeting.

Executives with Ameris Health Systems, the company that plans to build a hospital in Chiefland, are still awaiting a decision from the governor’s office on the reallocation of tax-free bonds.

Sam Lewis, chief executive officer and president of Ameris, said recently that Gov. Charlie Crist has an executive order on his desk to consolidate and reallocate about $840 million of unspent tax-free bonds for shovel-ready projects like the hospital throughout the state.

The Levy County Commission got some good news this past week from County Property Appraiser Oz Barker: property values are not down as much as earlier anticipated.

Barker, who sent over the ubiquitous form DR420S Certification of Taxable Value that comissioners use in setting a tentative budget and property tax millage rate, had anticipated a 7 percent drop in value. But the decrease is 5.5 percent on property valued at $1,871,247,226.

That could be good news for the reeling real estate market where values have been sinking for three years.